Book of Gates

Hour Six

The sixth hour covers the deepest stretch of the journey of the sun into the underworld. A series of gods with their arms covered walk in front of the sun barque. In the lower register lie the mummies of those who will be resurrected when the body of the sun god Ra is united with his Ba. At the far end of the register there is a depiction of the circular Lake of Fire with a protective serpent wrapped around it. The gods in the upper register hold tridents which they use to fend off Apep so that he cannot interfer with this critical union. In front of these gods we can see the heads of those freed from Apep rise out of his body. At the far end of the top register stands the god Aken. The twisted rope being unwound from his throat represents time.

This section on the sarcophagus of Seti is incomplete, but does include the following text...

[This great god is towed along by the gods in the Tuat, and those who tow Ra along say, "Rise up, O disk,] . . . . god, verily get thee forth to the standards of Seb." Aken says to the standards "Keep ward over the enemies, and bind fast those who shall be smitten. O ye gods who are behind the standards, and who are in the following of Geb, I give ye the power to bind fast the enemies and to keep ward over the wicked. Let them not go forth from under your hands, let them not slip through your fingers. O enemies, you are reckoned for slaughter according to the decree which [was given] to you by him that with his body, and created the Tuat by his members(?). He has passed the decree for you to be punished, and he taketh count of you and what ye do . . . "